Vacuum attachment for carpet-sweepers.



APPLICATION FILED FE-B. 9, 1911.

Patented N0v..14, 1911 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR JtZaZS vjicdrran WITNESSES J. SOHIRRA. VACUUM ATTACHMENT FOR CARPET SWEEPERS.

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 9, 1911.

Patented N0v.14, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR Jdzlw 5c/gbrrw.

7///////4%w4 ill ==u UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS SCHIRRA, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-EIGHTH TO HENRY J. THOMA AND ONE-FOURTH .TO GEORGE S. WILSON,BOTH OF PITTSIBURGH,

PENNSYLVANIA.

vacuum ATTACHMENT FOB CARPET-SWEEPERS.

Specification of Letters ZPatent. p t td 14, 1911, Application filed February 9, 1911. Serial No. 607,456. I

4 To all whom it may concern:

removing dust, dirt and foreign matter from rugs, carpets and floors.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carpet sweeper with a vacuum cleaning device that can be-simultaneously operated with the carpet sweeper to remove fine particles of' dirt, dust or other matter that could not be collected by the carpet sweeper.

, The invention aims in its broadest aspect to combine a carpet sweeper and vacuum cleaner in such a manner that one apparatus may serve to provide either operation or both operations at will andwithout change of parts.

The vacuum cleaner is constructed upon the principle of a bellows and the operation of the bellows is accomplished by a relative movement of the handle of the sweeper and the movable end of the bellows. When the movement is by the handle, as duringthe ordinary back and forth movement of the carpet sweeper, the two cleaning devices are placed in operation easily and quickly manipulated by a housewife, janitor or the operator of the machine.

In employing a vacuum cleaner simultaneously with a carpet sweeper, the coarse and-rough dirt is not only removed by the I carpet sweeper, but is agitated to an extent by the rotary brushes of the'sweeper sufir cient to enable its being readily picked up by the vacuum cleaner.

The invention further aims to simplify devices of this character to such an extent as will permit their operationby hand, thus eliminating any requirement for use .of suoa: 'tion creating devices other than' thos'e ear' ried entirely by the handle of the sweeper,

thereby providing a device Which may be manufactured at a relatively low cost, requires no installation, which in no manner affects the operation or portability of the sweeper, and which is at all times ready for operation either in conjunction with or independently of the sweeper as desired.

The invention will be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawing wherein there isillustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that the structural elements thereof can be varied or changed, as to the size, shape and manner of assemblage without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings -Figure 1 is a perspective view of the carpet sweeper attachment showing the mannerofusing the same, Fig. 2 is aperspective view of a carpet sweeper provided with the attachment, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the sweeper and the attach ment, Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sece tional view of a portion of the same, Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view takenon the line VV of Fig. 4,Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the suction head, Fig. 7 is an elevation of a detached spacing ring adapted to form part of the vacuum cleaner, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the bellows in a closed position. I In the drawings there is illustrated a-conventional form of carpet sweeper which constitutes not only a cleaning device, but a movable support for the vacuum cleaner at tachment. The sweeper comprises a housing 1 having the end walls 2 thereof provided with longitudinal axles 3. arranged in parallelism and protruding fromthe end walls 2 ofthe housing. Botatably mounted upon the ends of the axles 3 are supporting wheels 4 having the rims thereof provided functionally as a friction drive for a rotary brush 6 revolubly mounted within the housing 1 and having the spindle 7 thereof provided. with frictional wheels .8 engaged by the tires 5"of the wheels 4 at both ends of the housing 1. "The rotary brush 6 is adaptthe sweeper is moved and the dirtpr other with rubber or frictional'tires 5 that serve matter carried into the housing 19y, the

ed-to contact with the surface over wh ch brush (3 is collected in the tiltable pans 9 arranged withinthe housing 1. lhe outersides of the end walls'2, ad acent to the upper edges of said end walls are 1)IO"i(l0(l with trunnions 10 for the ends 11 ofa yoke 12, the truunioned ends of the yoke being shielded and protected by guards 13. The yoke 12 intermediate the ends thereof is provided with a ferrule or socket 14 having the lower end thereof provided with an opening 15, the walls of which-are threaded to receive the threaded end 16 of a plug 17 mounted in the lower tapered end 18 of an operating rod or handle 19 extending into the ferrule or socket 14; The front and rear walls 20 and 21 of the housing 1 project beyond the end walls 2 as at 60, and are provided with guards 22 fort-he wheels 4 and 8, and the construction just described and including the elements 1 to 22 inclusive constitutes the well known type of carpet sweeper.

Reference will now be had. to thevacuum cleaner attachment as applied to the carpet sweeper.

Upon the operating handle or rod 19 adjacent to the ferrule 14 is fixed a sleeve 23,

' mountedupon these corrugations is the large end of a bellows 30, said bellows being preferably made of a durable fabric and the large end thereof retained in engagement with the collar 28 by fastening means, as a wrapping of cord or tape 31. The small end of the bellows is attached in a similar manner to a circumferentially corrugatedcollar 32 having a small. circular head 33. This head isprovided with a central opening for the lower flanged end'34 of a tube 35 slidably mounted upon the operating rod .19, sail tube being of a less length than said ro Arranged intermediate the ends of the bellows 30 is a spider or frame, comprising a sleeve 36 slidably mounted upon the rod 19 and radially dis 'iosed arms 37 connecting a corrugated collar 38 to said sleeve. The bellows is connected to the collar 38 by a wrapping of cord or tape.

The largeliead 26 is provided with two openings-39 and 4,0, both preferably off center. and mounted upon the outer side of said rod and in communication with said openings are two nipples 41 and 42. The opening 39 is normally closed by a flap valve 43 arranged upon the inner Side of the head 26, and the opening 40 is adapted to be closed 'by a similar valve 44'arranged upon the outer side of the head 26 within the nipple 42., Detachably connected to the nipple 42 is a bag or flexible receptacle 45. Detachably connected to the nipple 41 is the upper end of 'a hose or flexible connection 46 in which I is arranged a spiral spring 47 adapted to maintain thehose in a cylindrical form and prevent a collapse of the walls thereof. The lower end of the hose 46 is connected to the nipple 48 of a flared hood 49 mounted upon a suction head 50 corresponding in width to the sweeper housing 1. 'The particular lo cation of the point of connection of the hose 46 and nipple 41, is important and of particular advantage. By locating this point of connection ofi' center, the entire device is supported on the sweeper at a point axially of the suction device so that the'latter will preserve substantially the same relative position, regardless as to'which side of the sweeper the suction head is mounted; furthermore, it permits of the use of the ordinary sweeper-handle. The suction head has nication with the flared hood 49, the large end of said slot being at the lower edge of the head 50. The ends of the head 50, at the lower edge thereof, are cutaway, as at 52 and provided with stud shafts 53 for revoluble rollers 54 adaptedto travel'upon the a taperingslot 51 formed thereinin commustruction permitting a ready attachment of j the suction head by simply resting the hookson such projections; and since the flexible connection46 may be rapidly drawn oif of the nipple 41, it will be readily understood that the suction head and flexible connection may bebodily removed from the sweeper and suction apparatus and 're-positioned with the hooks engaging the projections 60 of the wall 21, the connection 46 in .this position, preferably passing beneath the cross bar of the yoke 12 and slipped over the nipple 41. This change from an advanced position to a rear position is provided without affecting any of the structure of the suction apparatus or of the sweeper, and leaves the parts movable with the same freedom as in the position shown.

Operation :Assuming that the bellows is collapsed, it is only necessary for the operator tohold the tube 35 in one hand and push theoperating rod 19 forwardly, thereby moving the sweeper over the surface to be cleansed. With the tube 35 held stationary and the operating rod 19 shifted in said tube, the bellows will be opened, thereby opening the flap valve 43 and causing a suction Within the hose 46 and thehead 50 that bellows is discharged into the receptacle 45.

Besides collecting the rough dirt within the sweeper, the fine dirt is collected within the receptacle 45, which can be removed and emptied when filled.

Through the medium of the vacuum cleaner attachment, dirt and dust can be re moved from corners and places inaccessible to the sweeper.

Obviously various kinds 'of suction heads can be used in connection with the bellows.

This particular arrangement of parts provides specific changes in use. For instance, should the operator grasp only the handle, the sweeper only will be operated, no suction being created, the non-operated cleaner apparatus providing nothing that would render the movements of the sweeper different from those usually had by the ordinary sweeper; if the tube 35 be grasped and held stationary while the handle is moved, the cleaner is brought into operation, the sweeper having its ordinary movements and combining the two operations, this position of the tube retaining the upper end of the bellows and the tube 35 fin stationary position, the forward movementof the sweeper providing a suction, while the return movement of the sweeper has the suction head non-efl'ective; by holding the bandle stationary and moving the tube 35, the sweeper is held stationary and the suction device is operated alone, making thedev-ice readily applicable for cleaning corners and other places normally inaccessible to the sweeper. I

From the foregoing it will be observed that the carpet sweeper constitutes a movable carrier for the vacuum cleaner, the carrier having .a rotary brush that cotiperates with the vacuum cleaner in thoroughly cleansing a surface.

hat. I claim isz- 1. The combination with a carpet sweeper having a handle, of a vacuum cleaning attachment including a suction device and a suction head detacha'bly connected together, said head and sweeper having complemental means for removably supporting the suction head either in advance or in rear of the sweeper body at will.

2.. The combination with a carpet sweeper having a handle, of a vacuum cleaning attachment including a suction device, a suction head, and a flexible connection between the head and device, said head and sweeper having com lemental means for removably supporting he suction head either in advance or in rear of the sweeper body at will, said flexible connection permittin a change in position of the head without a ecting the positionand operation of the suction device.

'3. The combination with a carpet sweeper having a handle, of a vacuum cleaning attachment including a suction devicecarried by the handle, asuctionhead carried by the sweeper body, and aflexible connection between thehead and device, said head and sweeper having complemental means for removably supporting the suction head either in advance or in rear of the sweeper body at will.

4. The combination with a carpet sweeper having a handle, of a suction device having its lower end fixedly secured to the handle and itsopposite end free to move longitudinally of the handle, said device operating only upon relative movement of the handle and movable end ofthe device, to permit separate or combined operation of the sweeper and cleaner, and a suction head supported by the sweeper body and connected to said suction device.

5. The combination with a carpet sweeper having a handle, of a suction. device having its lower end fixedly secured to the handle and its opposite end free to move longitudinally of the handle, said device operating only upon relative movement of the handle and movable end of. the device, to permit separate or combined operation of the sweeper and cleaner, a suction head detachablysupported by the sweeper body and detachably connected to said suction device, and stud head and sweeper body having complementa'l means for removably securing the suction head either in advance or in rear of the sweeper body'at will.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

.JULIUS SCHIRRA.

Witnesses:

MAX H. Snonovrrz, H. C. Evmrr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0. 

